Family Ties
by DLLance
Summary: This is taking place many years after the events of Abhorsen in the Old Kingdom Series, and is taking place when Albus Potter and co. are starting their first year at Hogwarts. A young daughter from the Abhorsen family is going to Hogwarts in an attempt to reintroduce the forgotten past to the students of Hogwarts. PLEASE NOTE I WROTE THIS BEFORE HP AND THE CURSED CHILD.
1. Prologue

A few pops and crackles could be heard coming from the fire as sparks rose up the chimney. It was night; the time of day Kallael felt the most comfortable. A book lay on her lap, though she paid no attention to it. Her mind was elsewhere. Staring at the fire, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her father.

"Kallael, come to the kitchen please." Begrudgingly, she stood up, and walked to the kitchen, as her father had commanded.

As she entered the room, Kallael was greeted by the sight of all of her siblings, her father, and her uncle, seated in a row. For half a moment she considered turning around and avoiding whatever drama was brewing in the Abhorsen's cabin. Though she could feel the presence of sendings behind her, and knew it would be a waste of time to try and leave. Being rather impatient with Kallael dragging her feet, her father motioned to the lone empty chair across from them.

"Whatever you think I did, I didn't do it." She quickly scanned the room for Mogget as she took her seat.

Her father let out a hearty laugh. "Don't worry Kal, you aren't in trouble. This is about your birthday." Kallael let out a sigh of relief.

She tried to predict what was going to be said about her birthday. Nothing noteworthy, she imagined. Being the youngest of three, she doubted she would get any training in death anytime soon. At least, no official training. Kal didn't count listening in to her sister and brother's training. As she ran through predictions in her head, her uncle walked up to her, holding two wrapped boxes. One was long, but shallow, and the other, seated delicately on top of the other, was small and short. Her birthday was still a few days away, but Kallael took the boxes and balanced them on her lap.

"Unfortunately these days the bloodlines aren't what they used to be." Her uncle spoke for the first time. Kallael looked at her Uncle confused. "You're lucky you've grown up in a town made mostly of those loyal to the charter."

"What does that have to do with the bloodlines?" Al was quick to interrupt. "Everyone else still needs up to keep their power. They'd be stupid not to appreciate us."

Her Uncle let out a sigh, and looked back to her father. "Kal, listen…even though I am of the royal bloodline, I'm just a figure head. Someone the Minister simply talks to, to keep the charter up and running for most of our people. And you all, the Abhorsen's, have been forgotten and diminished over the years as the threat of free magic has diminished to almost none. The Clayr have become jokes or legends since so many have come down from their glacier and become intertwined with ordinary life. As for the Wallmakers…they have been forgotten entirely."

Kal looked at her uncle befuddled. Having grown up in an area where everyone had been baptized by the charter, she had no idea of how little most people actually knew. "Our history has been slowly changed to legends, and the legends are being erased. Most people don't know, and those who do think of us as no one better than servants who keep the lights on." Her Uncle's voice was getting more and more strained with each word. She tried to wrap her mind around everything her uncle was saying, but just couldn't. The world she grew up in was a small one, and filled her head with false impressions of the world.

"Why don't you open the presents?" Kallael's father quickly interjected. "They are actually from the Wallmakers. So be sure to thank your cousins."

Kallael unwrapped the small box carefully, and lifted the lid off. Inside of it was something she had not expected. A wand lay on top of a simple blue cloth. A beautifully crafted wand made of gold and silver. She could see the charter magic glowing and dancing within it. As she picked it up, she realized the twist of the handle fit her hand perfectly, and the charter warmed her hand. "This is beautiful…but I don't understand." Kal spoke without lifting her eyes off of the wand. "I already know quite a bit of charter magic, I don't need a wand to preform it for me."

"No, you don't. This wand is different from the kind that non charter users have. This doesn't preform magic for you, it heightens the magic that you know. Think of it like a very small charter stone that follows you wherever you go." Her father spoke warmly.

"And where exactly am I going that I need this?" Instead of answering her question immediately, everyone in the room shifted in an awkward silence, before her eldest sister rolled her eyes and answered.

"You're going to hogwarts."

"WHAT?" Kallael shouted, and quickly jumped from her seat. "A-am I not good enough at charter magic? I will study harder, I promise. Please don't send me there, I will be a joke around town!" She could feel her legs shaking a little.

Her father came over and put his hands on her shoulder. He spoke calmly. "That's not why we are sending you there. We want you to be there almost like a diplomat. It's our hope that maybe we can slowly reintroduce older traditions back into the mainstream." He pulled Kal in for a hug. Her face pressed against his stomach. "I know no one better for that job than you."

His words offered Kal some comfort, but she still felt a knot in her stomach. Hearing how the rest of the world thought of the charter made her realize just how isolated she really was. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure she wanted to see the rest of the world, let alone be a diplomat to it. The knot in Kallael's stomach only grew once her father finally released her from his tight embrace. She forced a smile.

"Why don't you open your last present?" Her father smiled down at her, placing his hands on her shoulder. She nodded in response, and proceeded to open the long box as her father stepped back into line.

As Kal lifted the lid, her eyes lit up in excitement. Carefully placed inside was a short sword with some basic charters carved into the hilt and blade. She could identify a few, there were symbols for durability, sharpness, lightness, and some were more advanced and, for the time being, were unknown to her. While the sword was small in comparison to the great swords she had seen, it was perfectly sized for her. As Kallael grabbed the hilt to lift the sword, she noticed the folded cloth beneath it. It was a robe with the Abhorsen's blue with silver keys embroidered onto it. The robe was pristine, as though it had been made yesterday, unlike the hand-me-down that she would occasionally wear for events. Looking at the last two pieces of her present mad Kal realize the reality of the situation. These were objects made for her so she could have a piece of home and tradition wherever she went. The world she would be entering would be entirely alien to her, save for the warmth of the charter.

Kallael sat back down. "Do I have to go?" She looked back up at her family while she spoke.

"Kal, this is important." Her sister tried her best to sound stoic, but Kal could sense the quiver in her voice.

"Then why couldn't you have asked me about it? You trust that I am adult enough to be some sort of diplomat, but not adult enough to say how I feel about it?" Kal couldn't help but feel inadequate, and hoped to find something to make her feel better.

"That's not—" Her sister began to speak, but was quickly interrupted by her brother.

"We are all going to miss you too much. If you were there when we were making a decision, we wouldn't come to the right one. By telling you now, we all regret it a little bit, but it's set in stone." He smiled at Kallael. "It was for our own sake, not for yours. Don't worry too much baby sis, you're perfect for this." She smiled back at her brother, let go of the hilt, and said her thank-you's to her family.

Later that night, Kallael lay awake in bed. She clanked the side of the sword against the wall, paying no attention to the sound of her brother walking into her room.

"You should be more careful with that, you'll dull the blade." Her brother sat at the foot of Kal's bed, and patted her feet. "Sabby fought hard to get you that, despite Father and my arguments against it."

"Really?" She sat up. "Sabby went up against dad? And you sided with dad? Now I wish I was there."

"Listen, there is a good reason she sided with you…which is…actually why I'm here." His voice began to lower the further along he spoke. Kallael just watched him, confused. "The reason our sister dearest wants you to have the sword is because there is a chance you are going to need it."

"What?" Kal looked down at the sword in her hand.

"I can't talk too much about it, but the Clayr had a vision, and—" The sound of the door opening cut him off.

"BELL!" Their sister growled, and stormed in. "What do you think you are doing?"

"She has a right to know, Sabriel." Bell hissed beneath his breath.

Sabriel rolled her eyes and pointed to the door. "Out." Bell opened his mouth to protest, but she quickly repeated herself. "Out!" Reluctantly, he obeyed, walking, quickly, and quietly towards the door. Sabby didn't speak again until the sound of Bell's footsteps could no longer be heard. She let out a sigh. "What did he tell you?"

"He just said something about the Clayr, that's it, I swear." Kal brought her knees in close to her chest. Her sister sat down in the newly opened space at the foot of Kallael's bed.

"I should have known he was going to ignore dad…" Sabby rubbed her temples. "Listen, the Clayr had a vision of a free magic creature at Hogwarts, and a flash of our house's symbol. You're the only one still young enough to go, so we want you to be safe, but you know the Clayr; their visions are so vague and susceptible to change." Kallael's eyes lit up, and a smile grew across her face. Sabriel noticed this change almost immediately. "No! Stop! Don't be excited for danger that probably won't happen. That sword is for defense alone, don't go looking for trouble." She jabbed her finger into Kal's chest as she spoke.

"Of course sister dearest."

"I hate it when you call me that." Sabriel pulled Kallael into a big bear hug.


	2. Chapter 1- New Beginnings

Scorpius sat waiting for the train to start its journey towards Hogwarts. Despite the fact that there were many people around him, he felt quite alone. Nobody would make eye contact with him, though he could feel their stares driving into his skull when he wasn't looking. Scorpius closed his eyes and sunk down into his seat, hoping that would mute the feelings of forced isolation. All he wanted was to prove he was stronger than his father, better than his father. Just you wait, he thought to himself, I will prove I am worth respect; whatever it takes, I will do it.

The sound of someone clearing their throat made Scorpius open up an eye. Standing in front of him was a girl who looked to be about the same age as him. She was short with raven hair and piercing blue eyes, but what caught his attention most was her garb. She wore a blue tunic that was emblazoned with silver keys. It looked as though she had jumped from the pages of a history book.

"Do you mind if I sit here, or would that interrupt your skulking?" The girl spoke crossing her arms across her chest.

"Excuse me?" Scorpius had never heard someone be so rude upon a first encounter.

"Look, I don't know anyone, and this is the only cart with an open seat." The girl sat down without waiting for his response. "Besides, it looks like you could use some company considering all of the people trying to avoid you."

Did this girl have no filter? He thought to himself in disbelief. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Nope." She shrugged tucking a lock of her short hair behind her ear. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Why would I know who you are?" Scorpius was beginning to get annoyed with this girl. "And I will have you know that I am Scorpius Malfoy." The girl simply stared at him blankly. "Son of Draco Malfoy." The name of his father didn't seem to ring any bells for her, and he let out a deep sigh. "You're a…" Scorpius stopped himself before mudblood slipped from his mouth. "…You're a child of muggles aren't you?"

"Oh no, far from it actually. I take it your father was part of the whole 'battle of Hogwarts' thing." She smiled seemingly apologetically.

"Yeah…something like that." Scorpius squirmed in his seat a little, and looked out the window. A few squeaks could be heard as the train slowly started to move. Parents jogged along side, waving their children one last goodbye. His father and mother had already left the station, but he still looked out into the crowd for them.

"Sorry if I'm a little…dull…with these things. Most of my knowledge of events are from regions much further away from Hogwarts." She cleared her throat and an awkward silence fell between the two.

Scorpius kept looking out the window as the scenery flew past them. It wouldn't be long until they were at Hogwarts' gates, which he prayed would come soon, though he knew that it wouldn't be all that different, socially, from the train ride, at least not yet. While he looked outside, he would occasionally shift his focus to the reflection of the girl sitting across from him. She seemed fixated on the keys of her tunic. Something seemed familiar about the garment, but he couldn't quite place what. "Is that a family crest?" He finally spoke up, turning to her.

"Oh, yes it is." She took her hands off of the key, and smoothed out the wrinkles on her lap.

"It just seems familiar. My family has been here for so long, I am sure our families have interacted in the past." To Scorpius this seemed the be the most logical explanation as to where he has seen that crest before. Read once or twice long ago in a journal comprised of all of his families achievements.

"I'm sure if our families ever did meet in the past, it was because of my family." The girl grinned, and stuck out her hand. "I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Kallael Abhorsen, you can call me Kal for short."

Scorpius took Kal's hand and shook it. His expression remained neutral as he was processing the last name in his head. As the realization struck him, his face lit up in disbelief. Kal chuckled at the slight bewilderment in the boy's face. "Abhorsen. Like the rat catchers?" He quickly said.

As the words left Scorpius's mouth, Kal's expression quickly changed. She shot him a death glare, though he had no idea what was wrong with his statement. The only reason a connection was made in his mind, was because of some stories he had heard when he was a kid, of ancient magic. He remembered the venom with which his grandfather spoke of the Abhorsen and the King. Up until that moment those stories were just vague fairy tales in faded memory at the back of his mind.

"We don't catch rats, we bind the dead, and keep you all safe." Venom dripped from Kallael's lips. She readjusted herself, before continuing with a softer tone. "Well, not we, not yet anyway. My father and sister mostly."

"I'm sorry, I just don't put much thought to fairy tales…though I suppose they aren't are they?" Scorpius moved slightly further away from her.

"No. That's why I'm here, to represent the family. It's a big name to live up to, I just have to be more patient I guess."

Scorpius wasn't quite sure how to respond to her. It sometimes felt strange to him, the fact that a name, despite being nothing more than a word, carried the most weight on his shoulders. Names weren't like titles anymore, you didn't have to do anything to earn it, you were simply born with it. And yet, everyone still treated it like a title, as though somehow the name Malfoy alone should dictate who he was, just as having the title "King" might. Despite the silence, the awkwardness between the two seemed to lift. Here Kal and he were, both with names bigger than themselves, with expectations weighing down on them, but with the comfort of anonymity between them. Scorpius knew hardly anything about Kal and her family, and Kal knew nothing about Scorpius and his family. The pace of each of their breaths was no longer short and anxious, it was deep and relaxed.

There was a brief rapping at the door of their carriage that startled the two. Behind the window, waving awkwardly at Scorpius was none other than Albus Potter. Albus slid open the door, and cleared his throat.

"Hello Scorpius…" Albus made no attempt to look at the girl sitting across from Scorpius, and instead shifted awkwardly where he stood.

"Albus." There was a slight raise in his voice as Scorpius spoke. He couldn't help but be curious about the sudden introduction.

"Look, I know our dads weren't exactly…friends." Albus shifted again. "But I want you to know that I know you're not your dad, and I'm not my dad…" Scorpius couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "I'm not gonna hate you cause of your dad, but if you are mean to me, or any of my friends, THEN I am going to hate you."

Scorpius couldn't help but let out a quick huff of laughter. "Same goes to you Albus." He did not envy the young Potter boy in any way. The Malfoy name might be known for some shady reasons, but the Potter name was a household name that could practically be synonymous with "hero". Not only that, but even Albus's first name was a legend that needed to be lived up to.

Albus nodded at Scorpius, and for the first time briefly glanced over at Kallael. His eyes quickly darted up and down, before shaking his head in confusion. He opened his mouth briefly, as though to say something, but quickly shut it, turned, and left.

"Who was that?" Kallael turned to ask Scorpius.

Scorpius sighed under his breath, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You have a lot of catching up to do."

—

It had taken just about the entire train ride for Scorpius to explain what had transpired between Albus's and his parents all those years ago. Kal listened as intently as she could, and fought back every urge to make a quip when the opportunity arose. To her, all of these problems seemed trivial. Hardly any wand user was a true charter mage, but rather people who "borrowed" charter magic through the wands made for them by wallmakers. There were no free magic users or creatures during Voldemort's brief stint of terror, so the Abhorsen's, and the few tribes of charter users, did not interfere. Besides, there were greater free magic threats on the rise much farther away from Hogwarts. Still, she thought to herself, it doesn't matter the medium of magic if the user is that powerful. Kal reached into her small shoulder bag and pulled out a book. She could feel the train slowing down, and knew there was hardly enough time to even give a summary of the Abhorsen's and their duties. The book was small with an old worn leather cover. It was clear that the leather was once a brilliant blue, but the color had since faded. Pressed into the leather on the front cover was a pair of keys, similar to the ones on Kal's tunic.

"Here." Kal handed Scorpius the book. "I don't have enough time to go into my family, but this is a pretty good history. It's probably more reliable than whatever 'fairytales' you've been told."

Scorpius took the book. It was thick square book, and it felt heavier than it looked when he took it from her hands.

"I will need that back, so you better take good care of it." Scorpius nodded, and shot a quick smile at Kal. It was nice to not have a train ride alone.

As the two stepped off of the train they were treated by the sight of Hogwarts's massive towers. Kal smiled to herself and imagined that, that was what the castle of the King and Queen looked like, before they had become figure-heads.

Standing besides the odd pair, was Albus accompanied by a young girl, which Scorpius recognized as Rose Granger-Weasly. The four exchanged brief awkward smiles.

"It's finally happening." Albus broke the group's silence. "We're finally here."


	3. Chapter 2- Houses

Kallael had begrudgingly put on the school robes after several professors scolded her, covering the tunic she was so proud to wear somehow felt like she was hiding herself. Rose happily walked along side of Kal, ignoring the two boys who were in a passionate debate about something Kal didn't quite understand, though their arguing sounded quite friendly.

"What are those silver keys for?" Rose smiled at Kal, sensing that she was not too fond of covering over the tunic.

"It's the symbol of my family, the Abhorsens."

"Are they an old family?"

"Perhaps the oldest. We're one of the pillars of charter magic." Kal's explanation didn't seem to help satiate Rose's curiosity.

"What do you mean?" The four had stopped as the new body of students had entered the main hall to await instructions.

"It's complicated…" That answer was far from satisfactory and Kal could see Rose about to fire off another line of questions. "I don't entirely understand it myself. I hadn't finished my history lessons before coming here." That seemed to be enough to end Rose's interrogation, at least for now.

A chill went down Kal's spine, and she began to frantically search the room. Forgetting that her sword was tucked away in her luggage, Kal instinctively brought her hand to her hip, only to find the cool metal of her wand. She gripped it, sensing something off in the room, though she could not place what. There was no stench of free magic, making Kallael unsure of what was wrong.

"Kallael?" Scorpius spoke, though she did not turn to look at him. "Is something the matter?" Scorpius, Albus, and Rose all began looking around trying to figure out what could have spooked their new friend.

"Something's wrong…" As soon as Kal spoke those words, a ghost walked in front of them. A deep sigh of relief came from Kal, as she returned her wand to its holster. "Ghosts. Never mind." There was venom to her voice. The ghost that had crossed their paths shot a glare back at them, though it seemed to be meant more for Kal than for the group as a whole.

"Don't worry, they're friendly." Albus patted Kallael on the shoulder, she was significantly shorter than him so she had to look up to give him a death glare. Albus slowly removed his hand. "Not a fan of ghosts?" He chuckled awkwardly.

"No." Kal let out a huff and crossed her arms. "They should have gone through the ninth gate by now. The dead belong amongst the dead, not the living. Ghosts are a stain on everything the Abhorsens try to achieve."

A few groups of students whispered amongst themselves and starred at the obvious outsider that was Kal. Though, she did not notice.

"How cryptic." Scorpius's blunt cynicism couldn't help but make Kallael let out a quick chuckle.

"I suppose I will have to get used to ghosts, and you will have to get used to my cryptic messages."

The massive group began moving again, as Professors ushered them into the dining hall to begin the sorting hat ceremony. Groups of kids began frantically chatting away, wondering which house they would be sorted into, whether they would all stay together. Promises were being made to remain friends even if they were in different houses. The room was awash in feelings of anxiousness and excitement.

There was no doubt in Scorpius's mind that he would wind up in Slytherin just as each of his family members had, but somehow that thought alone gave him butterflies in his stomach. There was legacy to his family, and to this house, but falling into the monotony of legacy was what Scorpius seemed to fear the most. Albus had similar worries. He wasn't sure where he would wind up, but to him it didn't seem to matter. No matter what house he was in, he could feel the shadow of his father looming over him. It didn't matter if that legacy was loved or hated, it was there and Albus could feel it strangling him.

Rose and Kallael on the other hand didn't seem to care at all. For Rose there was no worry about which house she wound up in, so long as she worked her hardest, it didn't matter what emblem was emblazoned on her school uniform. Kallael still didn't understand the concept of the houses to begin with, and being the first from her family to attend Hogwarts, the sorting meant nothing to her.

Rose tapped Kal on the shoulder. "Kal," Kallael turned to face Rose. "Even if we don't wind up in the same house, we should study together. I know you don't know anyone here…well besides the three of us."

Kal couldn't help but smile at Rose. There was such friendliness to her voice that was infectious. "Of course! I could probably even teach you things they don't teach here." Rose seemed to be excited by the idea. Much like her mother, she craved knowledge, and at times it felt like she needed knowledge more than water.

Before the two could continue the conversation, Head Mistress McGonagall began to speak. She spoke with authority that demanded respect, and the mass of students, both old and new, stopped speaking at once. There was no fuss to quiet down, and the room filled with silent admiration. She spoke of the trials and tribulations that the school and it's students had gone through in the past, the sacrifices made by students and faculty alike. On the faces of so many in the room you could see the pain of events that happened long before the student's births. That fear of living up to a legacy showed across so many student's faces. The Head Mistress assured the incoming class, and reminded the current students, that their challenges and difficulties would be different, but not necessarily lesser.

Kal looked around the room, and thought of the warning her sister and brother had given her, and for a brief moment it felt as though there was a hole in her gut. She hoped that the Clayr had an incorrect vision; she knew the school could not take anymore devastation.

McGonagall wished the incoming class luck before beginning the sorting hat ceremony. Scorpius's name was called fairly early on, a few cheers could be heard from the long Slytherin table. The hat had barely reached his head by the time it shouted "Slytherin!". He walked to the table with pride. A few Slytherins moved over on the bench, and patted the seat calling him to sit amongst them.

Rose's name was the next in their small group to have her name called. Unlike with Scorpius, the hat actually seemed to ponder for a few moments. Eventually it called out "Gryffindor!". A small group of Gryffindor students arose and cheered, as Rose skipped her way down to join them.

Though Kal wasn't sure why, she began to feel flutters in her stomach. It wasn't anxiety so much as the thought of winding up in a house with no one she knew. That thought hadn't bothered her until now, until she actually knew people. It felt like an eternity before Kallael's name was called. As McGonagall yelled out "Kallael Abhorsen", Kal could hear a few chuckles across the room. The sorting hat seemed almost shocked to be placed on her head. There was a moment of stunned silence, before letting out "Ah, I see…Slytherin!". Scorpius jumped up and waved at Kal, excitedly making room for her. She quickly joined him, waving to Rose across the room.

Once again, it felt as though another eternity passed before Albus Potter's name was called. The Gryffindor table was surprisingly silent in anticipation. Their bodies readying to jump up and cheer. What people were not expecting, was to hear the hat call out "Slytherin!". The shout had caught the Gryffindor table off guard, and a few jumped up in confusion, and the hall seemed to be filled with confused applause. Scorpius and Kal jumped up and began waving joyously at Albus. Even Albus was so confused at first that he hadn't noticed his two friends cheering him over to join them. A few groups of Slytherins seemed far from happy to see a Potter sitting amongst them. Albus squished himself between Kal and Scorpius in an attempt to have a buffer between him and those he knew hated his family name. Despite being glad he was around people he knew, and could tolerate, Albus was still awash in feelings of confusion. His father may have reassured him many times that being a Slytherin was not a bad thing, there was still a worry in the back of his mind, about how Albus's father would take the news. Rose waved as reassuringly as possible from across the room. He could see his older brother shrug his shoulders and smile at him.

Scorpius's list of people to avoid grew longer when he saw how some people reacted to a Potter joining the Slytherin house. _I am going to be better than my father_ , he repeated to himself.

It seemed as though everyone in Slytherin was starring at Albus, and he could feel himself becoming red. Even though Voldemort was dead, his gross ideologies had not died out with him. Despite being a relatively silent minority, their hatred was palpable. Albus felt almost as though he was behind enemy lines, but he knew that was not so clear cut. There would be people who hate his family name in any of the houses, and none of those people were particularly confrontational—yet—so it would be hard to know just who he needed to avoid. Another wave of anxiousness and paranoia washed over Albus. Before his mind could spiral even deeper into negative thoughts, the feast for the evening had begun.

The "oohs" and "aahs" of new students echoed through the dinning hall. Sounds of hands desperately grabbing at the food in front of them was cacophonous, but as quickly as it had started it had ended, with kids staring satisfied at the pile of food on their plates.

Kallael knew just how small she was, and made no effort to try and fight the larger students for food. Instead she calmly served herself a few things within reach, and began to quietly eat. She looked about the room, admiring the faint charter marks glowing and dancing across the walls and ceiling. They were old, and complex. Some were faded, but still powerful, and others were surprisingly well maintained. Kal began to wonder to herself who at Hogwarts had the knowledge and wherewithal to maintain complex charter magic. She was sure she would be the only charter user in the school.

Scorpius could read the anxiety on Albus's face. He couldn't blame Albus, this was far from what anyone was expecting would happen. "So—Albus." Albus was in the middle of chewing a mouth full of turkey, and just stared at Scorpius with a single eyebrow raised. "What class are you looking forward to?"

Albus swallowed hard, coughing a bit before answering. "Charms, or maybe Potions. You?"

"I was going to say the same thing actually." Scorpius sat up a little more, excited to find some commonality. "Spells can be so easy to counter, but potions are charms are tricky to go up against."

For Albus, battle style magic was what everyone back at home always seemed to be going on about. So when he realized there was someone else to talk about his interests to, Albus immediately perked up. "And you can get super complex things with potions. There are so many layers to it!" Albus stopped himself before he lost control of his mouth. "What are you looking forward to Kal?" Albus and Scorpius turned to the girl who was busy staring up at the ceiling.

Kal pulled her attention away from the dancing charter symbols. "Oh…uh…" She had to stop and think for a moment. In truth she was excited for none of it. All she wanted was to continue training with a master charter mage. "Defense Against the Dark Arts should be pretty interesting…" Kallael shrugged, and continued munching on her food.

Across the room Rose watched Kal, Scorpius, and Albus. The three seemed to be engrossed in some sort of conversation. She hadn't expected Albus and Scorpius to hit it off so well, but the day seemed to be full of surprises. Despite the fact that the people around her were people she knew, Rose felt like they were more like family than friends. As far as she knew, there were no rules against hanging out with people from other houses, so her worries of losing friends she only just made began to slip from her mind. Still, she found herself only half listening and participating in the conversations going on around her. Rose knew she would have to find time to join up with the others.


	4. Chapter 3- Unknown Faces

Chapter 3- Unknown Faces

After a long filling meal, the first years were shown to their respective dorms. As the groups of students began to split off, Kal ran over to where Rose was walking, catching Rose off guard.

"Hey!" Rose jumped at the sudden sound of Kal's voice.

"What're you doing here? Don't lose your group!" Rose tried to shoo Kal away, but Kal didn't budge.

"This will be quick, I swear." Rose rolled her eyes, and gestured for Kal to keep talking. "Okay, once we all get settled in, we were all thinking of meeting up here to explore a bit before we have to be back in our rooms. You in?"

"Okay fine. Now go before we both lose track of our groups!"

Kal smiled and ran off back to where Scorpius and Albus were impatiently waiting for her. The three waved back at Rose before walking out of sight. Luckily for the three of them, the mass of first year Slytherin students had not gotten too far away. As they walked, and the head of the house talked about the school and traditions, Kallael found herself distracted, once again, by the glow of charter magic. It was old, and invisible to everyone that currently surrounded her. As Kal's eyes panned across the wall besides her, they stopped at the large figure of a man leaning against the wall.

The man didn't seem to be a professor. His clothes were sensible, and were worn away at the knees and shoulders. The sleeves on the man's shirt were rolled up past his elbows, and showed finely toned muscles. Whoever this man was, he was tall and strong. As the thought crossed Kal's mind that she shouldn't be staring, the man turned and looked at her. He smiled; touched his forehead, and a little light glowed just beneath his finger. A grin spread across Kal's face. She was not the only charter user in the school. Quickly she touched her own forehead, feeling the warmth and the depth of the charter just beneath her fingertips. If the man hadn't been so far away, she would have given him the more proper formal greeting. But as the group of kids was quickly ushered down the hall, this would have to do.

Just as quickly as the man had come into her line of vision, he had left it; picking up his toolbox and continuing down the hall, unnoticed by the student body.

"Who was that?" Albus slapped Kallael's shoulder and pointed back to where the man had been standing.

"A charter user." Kal spoke in an almost song like manner, and skipped ahead of the two boys, unable to contain her excitement. If there was another charter user, that meant that she wouldn't have to practice alone. The boys picked up their pace to try and catch up to Kallael. Despite her short legs, she moved fast.

It wasn't too long till the group arrived at the common room. The dungeon looked exactly as Albus had expected it too. The room was awash in green light, save for the red glow of the fireplace.

"You know," Kal turned to Albus as she spoke, "call me cryptic all you want, but there is no toping this place."

"It's called the Slytherin dungeon after all." Scorpius cut in, smiling and starting to head over to the boy's dorms. "If we want to explore, you had better get settled fast. We don't have all night."

Kal hurried off to where she would be living for the next long while, eager to unpack the things that reminded her of home. There were several girls already inside the room decorating their respective beds dressers. The beds had curtains around them for privacy, which came as a relief to Kal. Even though the tall windows looked out to nothing more than a green glow, she still felt somehow exposed having to sleep next to them. Her belongings were placed at the foot of her bed. She swung open her footlocker, and the sight of her short sword wrapped in inconspicuous clothing greeted her. Without thinking much of it, Kallael unwrapped the sword and admired the sheath.

"Is that a…sword?" A girl behind her quickly squeaked her words out.

Kallael turned to see who spoke. It was another relatively short girl, who was sitting by herself, far from the other group of girls huddled in a circle. Kal smiled, and unsheathed the sword in answer.

"Woah…That is so cool!" The girl jumped up in awe, her black curly hair bouncing long after her body was still. Her skin was a beautiful dark brown that made her hazel eyes seem to glow. "I'm Ada by the way." Ada walked over to Kal and offered her hand for a handshake.

"Kallael." Kal shook Ada's hand. "I'm about to go off to explore, do you want to come?"

Ada shook her head. "As fun as it sounds, I've got some reading to do. Mostly the school rules." A few of the other girls in the room chuckled. "You have to know the rules if you want to break them, after all. Or at least that's what my parents always say."

"I suppose I'll just find out the rules if I happen to break any, but I will be back before curfew." As Kal spoke, she holstered her sword onto her belt in such a way that it couldn't be seen when her class robes were on.

"I look forward to hearing about your adventures." Ada gave one last smile before returning to her rulebook.

The two boys were waiting impatiently for Kal in the common room. Albus tapped his foot against the stone floor. "What is taking her so long? We haven't got all night." Scorpius simply shrugged in response to Albus's question.

"Relax. It's not like it's anything important." A strange voice neither of the boys recognized came from behind them. They both turned quickly, but found no one standing behind them. Instead what they saw was a white cat seated on a comfy chair by the fireplace. It was a fairly large cat, with a red collar and a small silver bell attached to the front of it. If it were possible for a cat to grin mischievously, to the boys it felt as though that is exactly what the cat's expression would be.

"Whose there?" Albus called out, but no one answered. Scorpius walked behind the chair half expecting an older student to be hiding, trying to pull a prank. Though, no one was behind the chair. Albus was about to call out again, when he heard Kal enter the common room.

"Sorry I took so long, I had to keep my sword from poking out of the robes." Kal walked up besides Albus.

"Sword?" Scorpius peaked his head out from behind the chair.

"Yes a sword. Why is everyone so surprised by that? And what are you doing back there?" Kallael's statements came out rapid fire. Before anyone answered, she turned her attention to the cat. "Mogget! What are you doing?"

"This is your cat?" Albus walked over to Mogget and began scratching behind his ear. "He's quite handsome."

"Thank you." Mogget replied, with a bit of purr behind his voice. Albus and Scorpius fell over in shock. "Though I am not _HER_ cat. I am _A_ cat…for now."

"A-A" Albus tried to get words out of his mouth, but his mind couldn't string together more than a sound.

"Oh please, can we skip this part?" Mogget jumped off of the chair and sauntered over to Kal. "I'm bored, the kitchen is out of fish, and you all look like you are planning to get into trouble. So…where are we going?"

"We're just exploring Mogget, please don't get us into trouble yet." Kal bent down to talk to the bright white cat.

"I can make no promises." Mogget walked over to the door of the common room, and looked back at the group of kids. "Are we going?"

Kal let out a deep sigh, and rubbed the bridge of her nose, a habit she picked up from her father. "I will explain on the way, let's just get going before it gets even more late."

As the group walked along, Kal explained exactly what Mogget was. Despite the fact that Mogget was no longer beholden unto the Abhorsens, as charter magic dimished over the centuries, Mogget grew bored. Mogget stuck with the Abhorsens to satiate his hunger for excitement, as well as his hunger for fish.

Albus couldn't bring himself to be comfortable around Mogget. Something about a talking cat put him on edge. Though perhaps it was more the fact that Mogget was a being of great power, which had his own free will, and yet decided to come to Hogwarts along with Kallael. Albus couldn't help but think to himself that perhaps there was something more going on. He kept Mogget in the corner of his vision as the three walked to the main hall to meet up with Rose.

It was getting dark out, and the hallways weren't very well lit. Occasionally the hall would have a red glow from a torch, before fading back into darkness. Scorpius pulled out his wand. While he did not know a great many spells, Scorpius did know Lumos. The spell had come in handy for him a great many nights when he would sneak out of the house at night to learn and practice magic. With confidence, Scorpius held his wand out in front of him, and the tip began to glow. It gave enough visibility that the three could at least keep from tripping in the long stretches between torches.

Mogget scoffed.

"What?" Scorpius looked down at the white cat. "We all can't see in the dark like you can. We're not cats after all."

"Oh, it's just… cute… is all." Mogget didn't bother to look up at Scorpius. Something about the way Mogget had said "cute" gave Scorpius a flash of anger. His nostrils flared, and he fought back the urge to begin yelling. Scorpius couldn't help but imagine how silly it would seem to a passerby that he was yelling at a fat white cat. "Oh?" Mogget seemed to take note of Scorpius's change in breathing. "Have I touched a nerve?"

"Mogget! Be nice!" Kal scolded the cat.

"Kal, why don't you send out a nice light to your friend, to let her know we are on our way?" Mogget had slyness to his voice that made Kallael hesitate for a moment. But, in seeing no harm, she complied.

Kallael extended her hand. For a brief moment she let herself become immersed in the charter, pulling out what she needed, and sending it to the palm of her hands. She could feel the magic dancing; warm, just beneath her fingertips. She released the charter, a ball of warm golden light appearing before her outstretched hand. With a gentle wave, Kallael sent the ball dancing forward. It floated gently away from them, getting smaller in the distance, before eventually it could no longer be seen.

Scorpius gripped his wand tighter.

Rose stood waiting in the hall for her friends. She didn't feel like unpacking her things just yet, so as soon as she could break off of the first year Gryffindor group, she did. Unfortunately, being so eager to leave also meant waiting alone for Albus, Kal, and Scorpius. Rose stood still rocking back and forth on her feet. She was starting to worry the others weren't coming, or that they had already left without her. There was a feeling in her stomach, almost like a punch, that she tried hard to repress. Just then, a small bobbing light appeared in her vision just down the hall.

It moved so gently, and yet was moving faster than she had thought. She expected there to be a professor behind the light, but as it got closer, she quickly realized there was no one beside it. Without caution, Rose walked over to the ball of golden light. Just as she got within arms length of it, the light stopped. She raised her hand up to the light, and paused for a moment, before reaching to touch the light.

There was a strange sensation. It was as though the light was a physical object; it had a texture to it, though perhaps it was more of a feeling that came with it. The light was warm, but the warmth strangely enough didn't start at her hands. Instead, the warmth began deep in her chest, as though she had taken a big gulp of hot coco. The warmth began to spread throughout her body, and Rose felt calm and safe.

Rose wasn't sure exactly what it was, but she knew it to be magical. Her mind began to run through possibilities as to what it might be, but her thoughts were interrupted by familiar voices. The three friends she was waiting on were just down the hall. Scorpius's voice was loud, and echoed across the stone walls. It was clear Rose was catching the tail end of an argument.

Rose waved down her friends and called out to them. Whatever the argument was about it seemed to end abruptly.

"You guys! You have to come look at this!" Rose waved the trio forward. "It's this friendly little light thing."

"Oh good! It made it to you!" Kal ran over to Rose, and grabbed the ball in both of her hands. "I haven't perfected charter magic yet, so I was worried it would wander the halls and never find you."

"This is from your spell? What spell is it?" As Rose spoke, the ball of light began to shrink in Kallael's hands, until it disappeared completely.

"Uhhh…I don't know how to answer that." Kal shrugged, bringing her hands down to her sides.

"She cast it without a wand." Scorpius hissed. The two boys stopped besides Rose and Kal.

"I told you, charter magic doesn't always need wands…most of the time it doesn't." Kal rolled her eyes.

"BUT HOW!" Scorpius was getting mad again.

"This is really rather boring, can we please just do what you were planning to do. I can't stand this argument anymore." Mogget weaved between Albus's legs.

"Does Headmistress McGonagall turn into a BOY cat when she changes?" Rose asked looking down at Mogget.

"I most certainly do not." The familiar voice of the Headmistress came from just behind the group. "What are you four up to?"


	5. Chapter 4- Responsibilities

Chapter 4- Responsibilities

(Note: This was meant to be a longer chapter, and I wound up not getting into some of the more important parts of it, but I've been so busy I decided to wrap up the chapter and post it.)

Rose turned a bright red, and couldn't bring herself to look at McGonagall. She couldn't believe that she just asked if the white cat was McGonagall, let alone that the headmistress herself heard the comment.

"We just wanted to see Rose, since we aren't in the same house." Albus quickly cut in, trying to keep them all from getting into trouble.

"How am I not surprised that you four became friends?" McGonagall rubbed the bridge of her nose. She was unfortunately all too aware of what the Clayr's sight had predicted. It was one thing to deal with potential threats, and it was another when a Weasley, a Potter, and a Malfoy were in the mix. "Why do I have the feeling that you all will be more of a handful than your parents. For my own sake, Rose, I hope you are more like your Mother than your Father."

Rose still couldn't bring herself to look at McGonagall, though her face had turned a lighter shade of red, and her heart began to beat a little slower. All Rose could do was nod her head.

"We're not breaking any rules." Kal was eager to get moving, and didn't want to miss out on any chance to explore.

"No you haven't, but I still can't help but feel like you are all up to trouble." McGonagall eyed the four suspiciously. "But while I have you here, there is someone I want you to meet ahead of time. Come with me." She began waking, and waved her arm for the children to follow.

Scorpius was the last of the group to begrudgingly follow. All he wanted to do was grill Kal about charter magic. For as much as it didn't make sense to him, he couldn't help but see it as an opportunity to become stronger than his father. There was a chance that he could make a name from himself, to stand out from the rest of the Malfoys. Though he would have to find a chance to talk to Kal when Mogget wasn't around. Something about that cat, he just didn't trust.

The group followed McGonagall, keeping close to her heels. A silence hung between them all. Kal was surprised that Mogget hadn't said a word around the professor yet. He simply weaved back and forth through the group as they walked. Despite Mogget's history with the Abhorsen's, Kal also knew that behind his collar, he was a powerful free magic creature, and that was nothing to take lightly. Kal made sure to keep the white ball of fur in the corner of her eyes at all times.

"Who are we meeting?" Rose finally gathered the courage to speak. Her curiosity had gotten the bets of her.

"A professor." McGonagall was blunt, and didn't look back at Rose as she spoke.

This answer didn't seem to satisfy anyone. But, before the kids could fire off another line of questions, they saw a figure seated at a bench in the courtyard. Someone who they could only assume was the professor they were going to meet. Despite being the evening it was surprisingly light out. The moon was full and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. A cool even light filled the quiet courtyard.

The figure was that of a tall broad shouldered man. His hair was disheveled, and he had his head down reading a book. The group recognized the professor from the feast in the great hall, and realized that he was the professor for the Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Realizing whom it was that they were meeting, Albus looked at the headmistress inquisitively. Why on earth would she want them to meet the DADA professor? The culmination of recent events and realization gave Albus butterflies in his stomach. He understood now, that there was something more going on, but he wasn't sure what exactly it was. The feeling in his gut was a mix of anxiousness and excitement. There was a chance that he could have an adventure just like his father, but would he be strong enough for it, or even the right person for it. Albus could feel his palms begin to sweat, his face felt cool despite the flush that grew in his cheeks.

"Professor Magis!" McGonagall called out, leading the group into the grass of the courtyard, just besides where Magis was seated.

Reluctantly, he looked up from his book at the Headmistress. He smiled at her, and slowly looked each of the kids over. A slight thud sound came from his book as he snapped in closed in his hands. Magis's hands were large and calloused, and it looked as though his fingers had been broken a few times in his life. He let out a sigh, and pushed up his small round spectacles. The glasses were almost comically small given his large features. He stood as he spoke. "Headmistress, I wasn't expecting a meeting until tomorrow night?" He was easily a head taller than McGonagall.

"Ah yes, but I ran into Kallael…and company. And thought I should introduce you now, and keep them out of trouble." McGonagall clasped her hands together behind her back. The two seemed to be perfect opposites of one another. McGonagall was clean and put together, her skin was pale and wrinkled with age, though she aged gracefully. Professor Magis was disheveled, with deep brown skin and hair, and despite being fairly young looking, it was clear he had been in many fights.

A deep bellowing laugh came from Magis. "Leave it to an Abhorsen to search for trouble."

Hearing the word Abhorsen used so casually made Kal look over the Professor more carefully. Sure enough, hiding behind his wavy dark brown hair, she could spot the slight glow of a charter mark on Magis's forehead. The professor walked over to Kal, and bent down so that he was at eye level.

"Kallael Abhorsen." Magis's voice was deep, but kind. "You may not be an Abhorsen, or an Abhorsen in waiting, but it is an honor to meet you." He brushed a few locks of hair away, and touched his charter mark. Kal quickly touched her own mark, before they each tested the others. It was almost like a handshake for Kal, but the others looked on with curiosity.

Kal had to pull herself away from the warmth of the charter, and will herself to remove her hand. Magis stood back up, and couldn't help but laugh at the puzzled faces of the other kids.

"I suppose none of you have really seen much charter magic have you?" Professor Magis's voice was deep, and carried with hardly any effort.

Scorpius opened his mouth to ask a line of questions, but Kal beat him to it. "I didn't think there were any charter mages here?" The words came out of Kal's mouth so fast she almost stumbled over them. "I was surprised enough when I saw someone with a charter mark in the hall earlier."

"Ah, you must have seen Penning. He's been here longer than me, it's his job to maintain the charter marks throughout the school."

McGonagall cleared her throat. "I need to get back to. I trust you will keep everyone out of trouble." The last statement felt more like it was meant for the students than for the Professor.

"Of course, headmistress." Magis adjusted the glasses on the bride of his nose. Much like his fingers, the bridge of his nose had clearly been broken a few times in his life. "I'm sure they all have too many questions, and will be too occupied to go running of causing mischief." He looked down at the group, who was easily half his size, and raised an eyebrow in warning. Satisfied, the headmistress walked away, going back to her duties at hand.

It didn't take long before Rose began firing off questions. The first few had come out so fast, and had caught Magis off guard that he hadn't even heard what she said. But he managed to hear the last question in time. "And what was that forehead thing?"

Magis held his hand out to stop Rose from rattling off any more questions. "I'm sure you all have lots of questions, and fortunately for you, Defense Against the Dark Arts is going to be more tailored towards…more arcane forms of magic, and of course charter magic as well." Magis could tell that none of what he said satisfied the young girl. He let out a sigh, and sat back down onto the bench. "I am a master charter mage, but I moved away from the small villages near you, Kal, a while ago. I've been combining both charter magic, and wand magic for some time now, and was hired to teach here, but not for DADA at first. Given what the Clayr saw, I'm mostly here to teach you all more powerful magic, but also to keep you up on your charter studies, Kal."

"Who are the Clayr?" Rose was beginning to get frustrated that there were more questions popping in her mind than there were answers.

"They're future seers." Kal quickly added with a smile. She was suddenly bubbling with excitement. A sly grin grew across her face. "Master Magis? If you will be teaching me more charter…could you possibly teach my friends too?"

Magis let out another loud bellow of a laugh. "As blunt as any Abhorsen I imagine would be. I would, but they haven't been baptized by the charter."

"So?" Kal crossed her arms. "I read in one of my books that Sabriel, one of the great Abhorsens, gave a girl MUCH older than us a baptismal charter mark. Plus, I'm sure there have been lots of other instances of it."

Magis shook his head and rubbed his temples. "That was a great Abhorsen…still I suppose I could try…"

Scorpius could feel excitement grow inside of him. The chance to become great himself was just within grasp now. He tried his best to maintain a cool composure despite his excitement. The thoughts of becoming a great wizard were quickly interrupted with the realization that the white ball of fur he was keeping in the corner of his eye was no longer there.


End file.
